Salt and Fire – Episode 2: Signed and Seated
Taehos arrived early. The landlord and previous tenant hadn’t shown up yet.
“You’re here? Have a coffee.” The agent tore open a coffee mix packet, practiced and clean. The water he poured was exactly two-thirds of the cup.
Taehos lit a cigarette. ₩3 million a month, huh. With 10 tables, if lunch turns once and dinner turns twice… That’s ₩30,000 per table per round.
Lunch doesn’t sell drinks. So maybe ₩20–30k for lunch, and ₩70–80k per table for dinner. Taehos stubbed out his cigarette. Then pressed it down again, harder.
“You must be Mr. Jang. I’m the landlord.” The man reached for a handshake. His hand was dry, worn with age.
“I raise the rent every two years. But we’ll talk first — don’t worry too much.” Five percent by law, right? Taehos wondered but said nothing.
His coffee had gone cold. He downed it in one sip.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Jin-young, the previous tenant.” Everyone was now present.
The agent busied himself with the paperwork. Taehos tried reading the lease, but only the monthly rent and deposit numbers stood out.
“Can we talk about the key money real quick?” Jin-young pulled him aside. “It’s 30 million won. That includes the location fee and all the fixtures.”
Taehos nodded. The equipment was mostly junk, but the spot was decent for that price.
“And let me give you some tips. Government workers? No money there. They keep getting memos to cut down on drinking, and when they finally become regulars, they get transferred.”
“I’m a German chef. I chose this area because men — office guys, civil servants — would drink beer after work.”
Jin-young rolled up his sleeves. “You’re younger than me, so I’ll speak plainly. Those guys don’t spread the word. You want your place to go viral, right? Have you ever seen a hot place full of men?”
Taehos gave a half-smile. He looked at a passing car. It stopped at a red light.
“Let’s finish the paperwork.”
“Once word gets out, you’ll make money fast.” Jin-young’s shoes were caked with mud.
Back inside, the landlord pushed up his glasses, scrolling his phone. “So it’s all set, right? Rent’s due on the 20th each month. Payment confirmed.”
Taehos stood and bowed. “Thank you.”
The landlord patted his shoulder. “I won’t charge rent for the two weeks you need to set up.”
Jin-young was now pointing at a map with the agent. “I gotta find a new spot for myself. There’s this old railway nearby — retro vibes, you know? People love taking photos there these days.”
Under his wristwatch, Taehos felt sweat gathering. The strap left a deep mark on his skin.
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